Nintendo’s announcement notes “and more,” leaving the door open for additional first-party surprises during the event .
The third-party lineup represents a significant step forward for Nintendo’s third-party strategy on Switch 2, headlined by the franchise’s first-ever appearance on a Nintendo platform :
The announcement includes “and more,” suggesting additional third-party titles may appear during the show .
Nintendo is devoting a dedicated area of its booth to Super Mario titles, including a mix of new releases and a recently announced compilation :
Attendees who check in at the Nintendo booth with their Nintendo Account will receive a free goody (while supplies last) plus 100 Platinum Points for the Nintendo Store . The specific physical item has not been named in reports. (For comparison, SEGA is offering a physical passport with a limited-edition collectible token for attendees who collect all five stamps from its themed game worlds.)
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is not present anywhere on Nintendo’s Gamescom 2026 lineup, despite being a flagship Switch 2 title . This continues a pattern of Nintendo being notably quiet about the game. At Gamescom 2025, Metroid Prime 4 was playable at Nintendo’s booth alongside Pokémon Legends Z-A, Hollow Knight: Silksong, and Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition
. Its absence this year is especially conspicuous.
Nintendo’s latest financial results also did not include Metroid Prime 4: Beyond on its million-seller lists for Switch or Switch 2, fueling fan concern about its sales performance and the series’ future . The game launched on December 4, 2025, for both Switch and Switch 2, but its sales have not been publicly disclosed, even as other Switch 2 titles like Kirby Air Riders (1.76 million units sold) were reported
.
The Gamescom 2026 lineup shows Nintendo leaning heavily into its existing franchises—Sports Resort, Splatoon, Star Fox, Pokémon, and Mario—while aggressively courting third-party support. The inclusion of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 as a native Switch 2 port is the first tangible result of the binding contract between Nintendo and Microsoft/Activision . At the same time, the absence of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond from the booth and from financial reports raises questions about the game’s performance and whether Nintendo is already shifting focus away from its sci-fi flagship.